Monday, May 3, 2010

RABBI LERNER'S HOME VANDALIZED

Rabbi Michael Lerner's home in Berkeley was vandalized over the weekend. According to a press release issued by Tikkun Magazine, "The attackers used a powerful form of glue to attach posters to his door and around the property of his home attacking Lerner personally, and attacking liberals and progressives as being supporters of terrorism and "Islamo-fascism."They posted a printed bumper sticker saying "fight terror--support Israel" next to a caricature of Judge Goldstone whose UN report on Israel's human rights violations in its attack on Gaza last year has been denounced as anti-Semitic and pro-terror by right wingers in Israel and the U.S.. The caricature has Goldstone talking about being kept from his grandson's bar mitzvah, and the caricature of Rabbi Lerner responds by saying "any enemy of Israel is a friend of mine."

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VANDALISM IS AN ACT OF HATE

Okay then, can you spell S.T.U.P.I.D. out there in Alwaysrightistan?

Do you really think such acts of vandalism are justified? What the hell is wrong with you? Where is your sense of Jewish Ethics? Where is your common decency?And do you REALLY think that such stupid and reprehensible actions will not come back to haunt you?

Look, I don't agree with Rabbi Michael Lerner either.But he's free to have his own point of view, and, like everyone in this country, he is free to be wrong, utterly and completely wrong.Disagreement is one thing, targeted vandalism is something else entirely.It's positively European.

Berkeley police today confirmed that the attack on Rabbi Lerner's home late Sunday June 2nd or early morning Sunday July 3rd was in fact a crime and was being investigated.The attackers used a powerful form of glue to attach posters to his door and around the property of his home attacking Lerner personally, and attacking liberals and progressives as being supporters of terrorism and "Islamo-fascism."They posted a printed bumper sticker saying "fight terror--support Israel" next to a carcature (stet) of Judge Goldstone whose UN report on Israel's human rights violations in its attack on Gaza last year has been denounced as anti-Semitic and pro-terror by right wingers in Israel and the U.S..

... [CUT : self-serving blather] ...

In the 24 years of Tikkun's operation, we have received many death threats and vicious hate mail, including phone calls to our office announcing that "Rabbi Lerner is dead" and others saying "We will kill all of you."

This particular attack has two worrisome elements not previously there: 1. They attack Rabbi Lerner's home. As law enforcement people told us, this is a way of conveying the messaget to Lerner: "We know where you live, we know your house is vulnerable, so don't ignore our threats." 2. By linking Lerner to alleged terrorism, they provide for themselves and other extremists a "right-wing justification"to use violence against Lerner, even thoughLerner has been a prominent advocate of non-violence.

He regularly critiques Palestinian acts of violence when they occur, including the shelling of Israeli towns by Hamas, just as he critiques the violence of the Israeli occupation, and as he critiques the US war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the occupation of Chechny by Russia, the occupation of Tibet by China, the human rights violations agaisnt their own people by the rulers of Iran, the acts of violence of those resisting the US occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, the violence against women and homosexuals in many Arab and African countries (and inthe US and Israel as well), the genocide in Darfur, the violence against Jews in some parts of Europe, and the list goes on.

Needless to say, this latest attack, on Lerner's home, has caused great concern to his family.

This stupid act of childish vandalism has made it around the world, via Lerners well-oiled self promotional publicity machine. There was much less publicity given to the assault of a Jewish girl on campus, or to the swastikas carved into the walls of a Berkeley dorm.Squeaky wheel, that Lerner is. Squeaky wheel

Either take him to court, OR counter argue him. Vandalism, particularly targeted stalkerist vandalism, is completely and utterly unjustifiable.Nor does it reflect well on Jews and Israel-supporters. Not because of what the other side thinks or does - and frankly, I do not care what they think - but because we hold ourselves to a higher standard than we hold the pro-Palestinians, and a higher standard than the pro-Palestinians can ever even possibly understand.

Additionally, please look up the definition of rabbi - smicha, if given by even one rabbi, is still smicha. Smicha merely says that the person who gave the smicha (the masmich) is confident that the recipientof that smicha (the musmach) can teach the subject to the extent and according to the standards that are expected - by, nota bene, the masmich!

The only comment I have, aside from condemning this momentous act of stupidity, is that only a place like Tikkun would write something silly and pseudo-analytical like "a powerful form of glue." Ah, you mean... good glue?

San Francisco, CA, May 4, 2010… The Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish Community Relations Council, the Northern California Board of Rabbis, and the Jewish Federation of the East Bay join together to condemn the vandalism of Rabbi Michael Lerner’s home in Berkeley, California, this week.

The four agencies issued the following joint statement:

“We unequivocally condemn criminal acts perpetrated against Rabbi Lerner’s home. Political disagreements must be resolved in a civil manner, and not by resorting to violence. Our communities are especially disturbed that this crime targeted Rabbi Lerner at his home, thereby conveying to him the message that he may not be safe there. We are encouraged by the responsiveness of the Berkeley Police Department to this incident, and we urge its officers to investigate this crime as thoroughly as possible. The entire community must send a message to the perpetrators that we reject violence and criminality as a means to express our political opinions.”

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.

The Jewish Community Relations Council is a consensus-based organization representing dozens of synagogues and Jewish institutions in pursuit of a just society and a secure Jewish future.

The Northern California Board of Rabbis serves the needs of colleagues, acts as a religious resource in communal and individual affairs, and builds connections and commitment to the Jewish community.

The Jewish Federation of the East Bay is dedicated to building a vibrant and inclusive local Jewish community, and to enhancing the well being of Jews in the East Bay, Israel and throughout the world.

Look, lerner got PUNKED by alice walker on Yom Kippur last year!!!lerner's stupidity back fires on him by his own admission on beyt tikkun's website:http://www.beyttikkun.org/article.php/20090929072148570